Battery-spacer-making machine



J. W. BUCKHART.

BATTERY SPACER MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1920.

1 404 1 3 Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

3 SHEETSQSHEET 1.

' ATTORNEYS 1. W BUCKHART.

BATTERY SPACER MAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17. 1920.

1,404,71 3. Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A TTORNEYS.

J. W. BUCKHART.

BATTERY S PACEB MAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, I920.

1,40%,713. Patentedlan. 24,1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Ill

A TTORNEYS.

refert'ance is directed to omrno STATES PATENT OFFICE."

JAMES W. BTl'CKHART, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR CEDAR .SEPARATOR COMPANY, OF NEVADA.

TO PORT ORFORD OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A'CORPORATION BATTERY-SPACER-MAKIN G MACHINE.

emme.

Application filed June 17, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JAMES \V. BUGKHARQ a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Battery Spacer- Making Machines, of which the following 1s a specification.

'lhisinvention-rela-tes to a wood work ng apparatus particularly designed for forming wood battery spacers which are of relatively thin straight grain construction, and are pro vided with grooves or depressions permittlng the circulation of the active material when in use.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide animproved form of endless conveyor having a material supporting friction surface wherebythe material as.

operated on may be cut through without the cutters contacting with the'conveyor.

A further object is to provide a novel form of adjusting means for the conveyor toobtuin the true running thereof. v

A. further object to provide an improved form of bed over which the conveyer operates, and so constructed as to permitthe passing of chips or like severed 1 material through the bed at a point beneath the pas- I sage of the. conveyor therefrom.

Another .objectis to provide an improved form and arrangcinent'of presser feet adjacent to the cutterhead whereby the material as operated bythe cutter head is held firmlyv in contact with the conveyor friction surface.

With the above mentioned and other objects inview, the invention consists of the novei construction and combinationof parts hereinafterdescribed illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and set forth in the claims hereto appended,

tion. sizeand minor details 'of construction within the scope of the claims maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the-advantages of the invention. q 1 i To more fuily comprehendthe invention, the accompanying drawings, wherein I i Figure 1 is aview'in-side elevation partly in section of the preferred embodiment of my invention.

Figurel is a vertical sectional view taken Specification of Letters Patent.

it; being understood that various changes ingthe form, propor-- Serial No. 389,674. f

forming battery-spacers therefrom.

on line 2'2 of Figure l viewed in the direc Figure 6 is a detailview in side elevation of the presser feet at oppositesides of the cutter head.

Figure Tie a view in rear elevation of one:

pair of presser feet, andtaken' on' the line 7 of Figure 6. I I Figure 8 1s a sectional view through one of the presser feet taken "on: line 8 8 of Fig-f ure 7.

F igure9 is a transverse sectional view through one pair of presser feet taken on the line 9-9 ofFigure Referring to 'the drawings, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the severalviews, the;

numeral ljindicates asuitable supporting frame preferably elongated in plan asillus trated in Figures 1. and. 2 ofthedrawmgs,

and on one face of which adjacent opposite are provided the parallel vertically :dis- 1 posed table. guides 2. terminating [at the up-. per edge or top ofthe frame. Positioned ad I ends jacent to theiront face of the frame 1,5isa

suitable table or bed 3,-f-rom the inneri face ofwhich depends slotted legs 4:, which have. sliding engagementwith the guides The table or bed is held .in its vertically adjustedv position preferably with its upper edge sub= stantially flush with'the upper edge or top of the frame by suitablecl'ampingor retain-1 ing members 5 in the form of bolts 'WhlClL Patented Jan. 2d, 1922;

project outwardly from. the guides, 2.T andf pass throughslots in the legs 4 as in Figure 1 of. the drawings.

7 to provide apertures through which clips or other material severed from the body operated on may pass should thesame find the r way below the conveyor hereinafter described.

of the bed or table 3 with its innersurtace in H v ThehOriZontal top 6 of thebed or table 3 is longitudinally slotted as at:

Movable longitudinally, over the surface porting wheel 10. The wheels 9 and 10 are carried on axles 11 supported in brackets 12 secured to opposite ends of the frame 1, as

in Figures 1, 3 and 4: of the drawings. I

. The drive wheel 9 is rotated in the direc- 'tionof the arrow Figure 1-by power applied to the gear 13 through a driving pinion 14 carried by a shaft 15, and which shaft is in turn rotated'by power transmitted thereto through a bandwlieel 16. V

The supporting Wheel 10 is capable of adjustment to and from the driven wheel 9 to compensate for stretch in the endless conveyor 8 andthe shaft 11 mounting said supporting wheel 10 is also capable of adjustment to vary the angle of the periphery thereof relative to the periphery of the driven wheel 9'to compensate for any unevenness in the opposite sides of the conveyor 8, and toxaccomplish these results the following mechanism is employed. The

frame- 12 cooperating with the supporting wheel 10 carries the bearing blocks 17 adustable in guides 18, andfrom these bearing blocks extend the adjusting screws 19 which pass through openings in the outer endsof the associated frame 12. The mem-.

' ends of the frame 12 adjacent the portions thereof through which themembers 19 pass.

Suitableidler rollers 21 are positioned at opposite ends of the bed or table 3 with their upper surfaceapproximately flush with the upper surface of the bed or table, as in Fig ure 1' of'tlie drawings, The rollers 21 support that portion of the endless conveyor 8 travelling over the surface of the bed or table 3 preventing the undue flexing of the conveyor as it enters on or leaves the ends of-the table. The parallel side edges of the conveyor 8 are guided over and longitudinally of-the upper surface of the table 3 by sultable guide flanges 22 secured to the surface 6 of the bed or table 3 with the inner portions thereof slightly overlying the opposite side edges of the conveyor 8, as in Figures 2, 7 and 9 of the drawings; the guides being secured in position bysuitable screws 23. The flanges of the guides 22 overlying the side edges of the conveyor 8 retain the conveyor in slight frictional contact with the dividing walls separating the walls '1' as in Figure 9 of the'drawings, insuring the uniform guiding of the conveyor over the table and the maintaining of thesame in contact therewith. Vulcanized, cemented, or otherwise secured to the outer face inner edges of the flanged guides and the outer edgeof thesurface 24 for the reception of cutting members hereinafter described.

The material to be operated on, which is in the form of a relatively'thin flat short lengthed strip of wood of a thickness slightly greater than the usual veneer is deposited on the frictionsurface 24 either by hand or otherwise at a point on the friction surface where the same is received on the feed end of the bed or table, and said material is guided between suitable material guides 26 raised on the guide flanges 22, and is of a width to overlie the friction surface 24, as in Figures 2, 7 and 9 of the drawings. During its movement longitudinally of the bed or table 3 on the friction; surface 24, the material passes between suitable compression or feed rolls 27 arranged in pairs, and certain of the rolls beingpositioned be neath the upper surface 6 of the table and disposed transversely thereof to contact with the end faces ofthe endless conveyor 8 and certain other rollers of each pair being disposed immediatley above the first mentioned rolls and carried by a suitable pivoted conipression frame 28. The frame 28 is connected at the opposite sides of the apparatus through links 29 with fixed supports 30, and said frame is normally pressed downwardly to force the rolls carried thereby toward the friction surface 24 by a lever 31 carrying anadjustable weight 32 at the free end thereof. The adjustment of the weight 32 on the lever 31 regulates the tension placed on the feed rolls carried by the frame 28.

Adjacent to the discharge end of the surface 6 of the bed or table 3, and extending transversely therefrom, is a suitable cylindrical' cutter head 34 mounted in bearings 35 associated with the upper ends of adjustable brackets 36 capable of being raised and lowered relatively to the surface 6 of the table 3, through the adjustment of clamping members 37. r I For forming the particular batteryspa'cer illustrated the cutter head 34 carries at spaced intervals around its periphery suitable radially disposed cutter knives 38 arranged in parallel spaced relation longitudinally of the cutter head, as in Figure 5 of the drawings, and at the'opposite ends of said cutter knives 38 are located the'trim- .mer knives 39, the points of which'are in aligned points of the cutter knives 38, said trimmer knives adapted on the rotation of the cutter head to project slightly into the space 25 on opposite sides of the friction surface 24, as illustrated in Figure 5, trimming or cutting the side edges ofthematerial to be operated onto provide a body of a given width. Adjacent to said trimming knives 39, and disposed flush with the inner faces thereof are positioned suitable trimmer saws 40, the teethof which project below the foot of the trimmer knives 39, as in Figure 5 of the drawings, to cut overhangin material carried by the main body on a line approximately parallel with the side edges of the friction surface 24 and insuring a smooth edge at opposite sides of the material acted on.

From an examination of Figure 5 of the drawings, it will be observed that the cutter knives 38 arranged with their points in alignment, and slightly in rear of the points of the trimmer knives 39 will groove or channel the upper surface of the material acted on, while the trimmer knives 39 and saws 40 will cut the material to a given width and provide a smooth side edge therefor, Extending transversely of the cutter head 34 between the rows of teeth 38, 39

and saws 40 are suitable surfacing knives 41 for finishing the upper surface of the material as the same is channeled and trimmed. Any suitable means may be emlo "ed for rotatln the cutter head in the l b c direction of the arrow, Figurefi of the drawings. r i

To retain the material tightly in contact with the friction surface 24 of the conveyor 8, while the same is beingoperated on, I prefer to, employ suitable presser feet arranged in pairs at opposite sides of the cutter head 34, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 6 of the drawings, and each pair of presser feet being identical, except being arranged with their toes pointing toward each other at opposite sides of the cutter head, the description of one pair is thought will suffice.

Secured to opposite sides of the table 3, at

opposite sides of the cutter head 34, are

the presser feet supporting frames 42, in the form of an inverted U, and within each of which is mounted a pair of presser feet 43. Each press-er foot has extended from the lower edgethereof adjacent the cutter head 34, a toe 4-3, and in rear of this toe 43, each foot is provided with a chamber A shaft connected at its opposite ends to the opposite sides of the'U-frame 42 passes through the lower portion of. each presser foot near the point of extension of the toe therefrom, and provides a fulcrum on which said presser feet of each pair are pivotally mounted to swing on a horizontal axis. To normally maintainthe toes 43 of the respective presser feet forced downwardly, I employ a compressed spring 46 coiled about 1 a guide bolt 47, which is threaded into a flange 48 on the upper rear edge of each presser foot 43. The bolt 47 passes through a guide opening 49 in the bodyportion of the U frame 42 and between its head and its point of passing through the frame 42, 1 position the aforesaid spring 46. The action of the spring is to draw the rear upper end of each foot toward the cutter head 34, depressing the toe, as in Figure 8 of the drawings. The contact of the flange 48' with the rear surface of the body of the member 42 limits the pivotal movement of the toes 43 downwardly, and a suitable adjusting screw 50 carried by a flange 51 at the forward upper edge of the respective presser feet contacts at its free end with one face of the body of the member 42 and limits the upper pivotal movement of the respective toes 43.

l lounted in the respective chambers of the presser feet 43 are suitable compression rolls 52 ended on a shaft 53 mounted in a floating bearing 54 movable vertically in a vertically disposed guide slot 55 formed in the opposite side walls of each presser foot. mally'forced downwardly toward the conveyor by suitable coil springs 56 positioned between the floating bearings 54 and the upper ends of the slots 55, said springs being held within the slots by guide screws 57. It willbe apparent that the pivoted action of therespective presser feet on their fulcrums 45 does not in any manner affect the position of the presser rolls 52 on the material acted on, or on the friction surface 24 of the conveyor, inasmuch as said presser rolls 52 are free to move independently on their floating fulcrum'relatively to the presser feet. The lower surface of each presser foot is slightly inclined downwardly from the heel to the toe, as at 58, insuring 34 are unwardl beveled. as at 59 to insure the easy sliding of the material beneath said 'pairvof presser feet after itis conveyedbeneath the cutter head 34.

By the employment of the presser feet 43 above trated in that the cutter head 34 is firmly held to the upper the drawings it will be apparent surface of the friction material 24 by the action of the presser feet, and it will also be apparent that, by the forcing of that portion of each presser foot nearest the cut- The compression rolls 52 are nor-' described ano arranged as illus material as operated on by the ter head downwardly onto the material adface of said metallic conveyor, means for jacent its point of operation by the cutter head, the material nearest its point of being operated on is held under increased pressure with the friction surface 24.

By providing the compression rolls 52, it will be apparent that the portion of the material which has been fed past the toe 43 of the respective presser feet is held in tight contactwith the friction material 24.

While but a single trimmer knife &1 is illustrated in the drawings, and is positioned between adjacent rows of cutter and trimmer knives, it is to be understood that. any number of surfacing knives 41, and any number of cutting and trimming knives can be employed just so long as the same are arranged longitudinally of the circumference of the'cutter head 34-.

By providing the trimmer saws 4L0 adjacent the inside wall of each trimmer knife 39, it will be apparent that the material is partly severed from the main body by the saw la prior to being chipped or removed therefrom by the knife 39.

I claim 1. In a machine for the described purpose, the combination-with a frame, a bed or table supported thereon, an endless unbroken metallic conveyor operating oversaid bed in contact therewith, a pair of guide flanges overlying the opposite side edges of said conveyor at its point of travel over said bed, a friction surface on said conveyor of a width less than that of the conveyor. and less than the distance between said flanges, a cutter head disposed transversely of said conveyor above said bed and provided with a pair of trimmer knives for reception in the space between the flanges over the op positesides of'said friction surface and falling short of contact with the metallic conveyor, means for pressing the material to be operated on into contact with said friction surface at a point adjacent to the operative field f said trimmer knives, means for rotating the said cutter head, and means for operating said conveyor in a direction toward the direction of rotation of said outter head.

2. In a machine for the described purpose, the combination of a frame, a slotted bed mounted thereon, an endless unbroken metallic band conveyor operating over said bed with its under surface in contact therewith, a pair of guide flanges carried by said bed and overlying the opposite side edges of said conveyor, a friction surface carried by the outer face of said conveyor between its opposite side edges and disposed to lie in spaced relation with the inner edges of said flanges, a trimmer knife, a cutter for extending into the space between the edges of said friction surface and the said flanges and falling short of contact with the upper suroperating said conveyor, and means for operating said trimmer knife and cutter to act on the material conveyed.

3. In a machine for the described purpose, the combination of a frame, a slotted bed mounted thereon, an endless unbroken metallic band conveyor operating over said bed with its underv surface in contact therewith, 'a pair of guide flanges carried by said bed and overlying the opposite side edges of said conveyor, a friction surface carried by the outer face of said conveyor between its opposite side edges and disposed to lie in spaced relation with the inner edges of said flanges, a rotary cutter head extending transversely over the bed, a pair of trimmer knives carried at opposite ends of said cutter head for projecting into the space on said conveyor between said friction surface and flange edges, a plurality of channeling cutters carried by said head between said trimmer knives and disposed with their cutting edges falling short of the path of travel of said conveyor, meansfor rotating said cutter head, means adjacent said cutter head for maintaining the material to be operated on V in contact with said friction'surface, and means for'operating said conveyor in a direction toward the direction of rotation of said cutter head.

4. In a machine for the described purpose, the combination of a bed or table, an endless, unbroken, flexible metallic band conveyor operating thereover in contact therewith, a driven band wheel J around which one end of said conveyor passes, a supporting band wheel around which'the other end of said conveyor passes, means for adjust ing one of said band wheels relatively to the other to regulate the tension of said con veyor, a non-metallic friction surface carried by the outer face 'of' said conveyor, and a cutter head extending transversely of said'conveyor and friction surface for operating on the material as conveyed by said conveyor and friction surface.

5. In a machine for the described purpose, the combination with an endless unbroken flexible metallic conveyor operating apair of band wheels around which said belt operates and dividing the same into upper and lower flights, a bed over and'in contact with which the upper fiightof said conveyor belt moves, a non-metallic friction surface carried by the outer face of said belt,a rotatable cutter head extending transversely over said bed above said friction surface for operating the material deposited and conveyed by said friction surface.v and means for varying the plane of the periphery of one of said band wheels to compensate for stretch. at'opposite sides of said conveyor.

6. In a machine for the described purpose, the combination of a bed or table, an endless,

unbroken, flexible metallic band conveyor operating thereover in contact therewith, a driven band wheel around which one end of said conveyor passes, a supporting band wheel around which the other end of said conveyor passes, means for regulating the tension of said conveyor, a non-metallic friction surface carried by the outer face of said conveyor, and a cutter head extending transversely of said conveyor and friction surface for operating on the material as conveyed by said conveyor and friction surface.

7. A machine for the forming of battery spacers from short lengths of veneer-like, wooden sheets, comprising a bed or table, an endless unbroken flexible metallic band conveyer operating thereover with one surface in contact with the surface of the bed. or table, a pair of band wheels of relatively large diameter, one positioned adjacent each end of the bed or table and around which said conveyer passes, means for controlling the tension of the conveyer, means for driving one of said band wheels to move the conveyer relatively to the table, a cutter head extending transversely of the conveyer' for operating on the material as conveyed thereto by the movement of said band conveyer and a presser member for acting on the material at opposite sides of the cutter head for forcing the material into frictional contact with the conveyer and the conveyer into frictional contact With the bed or table whereby an unyielding uniform surface is provided for supporting the material as acted on by said cutter.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to. this specification.

JAMES W. BUCKHART. 

